Planet Earth II gives viewers nightmares with 'terrifying' snakes
Fate of a group of baby iguanas has fans watching behind their hands as David Attenborough returns to BBC
There was a lonely sloth and fighting komodo dragons when David Attenborough returned to BBC1 with Planet Earth II last night, but it was a group of killer snakes the biggest impression on viewers.
Wildlife fans watched happily as newly hatched marine iguanas in the Galapagos Islands set off to join adults at the edge of the sea – only for a gang of racer snakes to emerge from caves and crevices.
"These snakes are fast, and hungry, and they want baby iguana for breakfast," says Sam Wollaston at The Guardian.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
One iguana managed to outrun the snakes, but another newborn was not so lucky.
"What kind of a life is that, and what's the point?" asks Wollaston. "Birth, a few seconds of blind terror being chased by snakes (how do they know to run?), caught, crushed, pushed headfirst into a scaly mouth. And that's it, game – life – over. It's terrifying, I'm going to have nightmares."
Ellie Harrison at the Radio Times describes it as the "most intense chase scene of all time".
She writes: "Hell, those snakes could climb. And the sheer number of them. There were so many. It was a relentless, apocalyptic nightmare."
It wasn't just critics who were terrified. Viewers took to Twitter in their droves to react to the chase.
According to Christopher Stevens at the Daily Mail, the crew were "too shocked to film" when they saw the snakes for the first time.
"Sir David had never seen anything like it either," he adds. "And that's the highest possible praise."
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
7 beautiful towns to visit in Switzerland during the holidays
The Week Recommends Find bliss in these charming Swiss locales that blend the traditional with the modern
By Catherine Garcia, The Week US Published
-
The Week contest: Werewolf bill
Puzzles and Quizzes
By The Week US Published
-
'This needs to be a bigger deal'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light – still a 'crown jewel'
The Week Recommends This 'superlative' Tudor drama returns to BBC One and remains 'appointment weekly viewing'
By Adrienne Wyper, The Week UK Published
-
Threads: how apocalyptic pseudo-documentary shocked a nation
In the Spotlight The rarely shown nuclear annihilation film will reappear on TV screens this week
By Rebekah Evans, The Week UK Published
-
'Ludwig': David Mitchell's new quaint and quirky British detective drama
The Week Recommends The BBC's new cosy crime drama is the 'role of a lifetime' for Mitchell
By The Week UK Published
-
Mishal Husain: BBC journalist shares her six favourite books
The Week Recommends Newsreader and Radio 4 presenter picks works by Louisa May Alcott, Jamil Ahmad and more
By The Week UK Published
-
The Jetty: Jenna Coleman is 'magnetic' in 'claustrophobic' crime thriller
The Week Recommends BBC's new four-part show keeps viewers 'hooked' until the end
By Irenie Forshaw, The Week UK Published
-
Michael Mosley 'collapsed' during holiday hike
Speed Read Tributes paid to 'national treasure' who did so much to popularise science
By Hollie Clemence, The Week UK Published
-
Aitch or haitch: the linguisitic debate that 'matters a lot'
Talking Point 'University Challenge' host Amol Rajan has promised to change the way he pronounces the letter 'H'
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
The Secret Army: the IRA propaganda film forgotten for almost 50 years
Why Everyone's Talking About 'Chilling' BBC documentary reveals how US TV crew documented the inner workings of paramilitary group in 1970s
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published